New boys impress as England hold Germany

London, United Kingdom | AFP | England debutants Jordan Pickford and Ruben Loftus-Cheek caught the eye as Gareth Southgate’s injured-ravaged side played out a 0-0 draw with world champions Germany in Friday’s Wembley friendly.

Everton goalkeeper Pickford, 23, made a number of smart saves, while 21-year-old Chelsea midfielder Loftus-Cheek, who is on loan at Crystal Palace, produced an assured display in the number 10 shirt.

It was only the second time in seven matches that England had avoided defeat against Germany at Wembley, with the other game a draw in the semi-finals of Euro 96 that culminated in a penalty shootout loss.

Gareth Southgate was the fall guy back then, but the England manager had more to smile about on this occasion, albeit despite a first-half injury to Phil Jones further limiting his options ahead of Tuesday’s friendly with Brazil.

Joachim Loew’s Germany, for whom RB Leipzig full-back Marcel Halstenberg made his debut, came closest to scoring when winger Leroy Sane rattled the crossbar midway through the first half.

The Confederations Cup winners missed out on an eighth successive win, but they have now gone 20 games unbeaten ahead of their year-ending home game with France — the last team to beat them — on Tuesday.

England’s injury plight obliged Southgate to hand debuts to Pickford, Loftus-Cheek and Tammy Abraham and he quickly found himself having to pitch another newcomer into the fray.

In scenes that will have caused consternation to Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, Jones went down gesturing to his heavily strapped left thigh and had to come off, with Liverpool’s Joe Gomez taking over.

Germany already looked the more dangerous side by that point, with Sane showing signs of his superlative Manchester City form by crashing a shot against Pickford’s bar from a position on the right.

Pickford, promoted after Jack Butland broke a finger in training, twice showed textbook technique to thwart Timo Werner with one-handed saves, Jones heading Sane’s follow-up off the line on the first occasion.

England began to assert themselves as half-time neared, Abraham seeing a shot drift just wide via a deflection off Antonio Rudiger and Jamie Vardy lobbing Marc-Andre ter Stegen, only for Matthias Ginter to head clear.

Vardy went closer early in the first half when he met Kieran Trippier’s cross with a firm downward header, but Ter Stegen got down to his right to paw the ball away.

Loftus-Cheek became more influential as the second half wore on, drifting away from challenges and using the ball intelligently, but neither he nor anyone else could provide the spark required to break the deadlock.

England should have won it at the death when Harry Maguire’s back-post header from Marcus Rashford’s free-kick fell to substitute Jesse Lingard six yards from goal, but he wastefully skied his shot over the bar.